The James Kilgour BlogA Life Blog.

A few weeks ago I wrote a lengthy post on Why I Would Never Buy an iPhone. I hated the phone’s small touch keyboard, expensive price tag and the prospect of having to move to o2.

But, as it turns out, I lied. Two weeks ago, I bought an iPhone. For the price of only £70 off eBay! Sure, it’s only the 1st Gen model, but still. I’m in love.

Why did I get it so cheap?? There was a small fault with the phone: it was stuck in silent with the switch on the side broken. But a quick Google and some help from iClarified allowed me to fix the problem, by changing a file over SSH.

I also managed to unlock and jailbreak very easily with Redsn0w. Although, getting the iPhone to work with Windows 7 RC is a nightmare. And Recovery mode doesn’t work. I also bought a Crumpler case to keep my iPhone nice and safe. I love these cases, and I have a Crumpler one for my iPod Classic too.  

So, over the past 2 weeks, I’ve been using the phone with Vodafone, and now I question myself: how could I live without an iPhone?? WiFi is great, and being able to check my emails quickly, and lookup places on Google Maps has been incredibly useful. It seems I have been converted!

JK

The iPhone 3GS was the prized product of Apple’s WWDC conference yesterday. But what exactly is so different…

So it has faster speed, a better camera and a bunch of new features, it basically is the same phone.

And Apple are giving the old 3G version of the phone the updated firmware. So basically… what is the point? And why could they have built in the new hardware in the previous version??? I guess they wouldn’t be able to then market a new one and MAKE MORE MONEY. (The three M’s). Come on Apple! Give us something really new. And cheaper please.

JK

The iPhone is such a cool piece of kit, with thousands of cool little apps. After seeing the massive campaign of ads for this iPod come phone, you would be forgiven in thinking that you couldn’t live without one.  I’ll tell you, very easily actually.

Like many other people, I wanted one! The thing that put me off though was signing up to a long 18 month o2 contract, (In the UK, Apple has an exclusivity deal with o2).

Also, the fact that the contract really isn’t that good a deal, and you have to pay for the phone! In the UK, this is like the ultimate mobile sin.

But my opinion on the iPhone changed dramatically when I actually tried using one. Of course, the interface was sleek, and the apps in particular are much better than that of a Blackberry. I’ve always been a fan of iTunes too, so that was a plus. However, the camera is terrible, only 2mp with no flash or autofocus, and the worst part is texting. I absolutely hate the virtual keyboard.

It’s not like I’m new to touch screen phones: my current phone is the Prada Phone by LG (Model 1). I can text on it just as fast as on a physical keyboard. It’s because it uses a standard phone key set on the virtual keyboard. As a result, it’s very easy to use, as the buttons are large.

On the iPhone however, I find each QWERTY key too small. I end up never getting the right letter, and I actually have fairy dextrose hands.

I’ve heard a landscape keyboard will be introduced in the next firmware update, (v3.0). This is by far something that should have been released in the beginning. I’m still skeptical of how easy the keyboard will be to use, even in landscape. Before I even consider buying an iPhone, I will definitely have to try it first. 

JK

The iPhone made it’s debut in June of last year, hitting the shelves in the US at a price of $399 (£269 on o2 in the UK). Instantly the phone became a success, despite numerous issues, and its lack of high-speed Internet access.

Now on 11th July, the new iPhone 3g will be released worldwide. Boasting new 3g connectivity, promising broadband speed browsing, slimmer size and basic bug fixes that plagued version 1, the world prepares to put in its orders.

The price? For this new and improved, smaller iPhone? $199 and free on some plans. Yep. $200 cheaper than the original, with twice the speed. In fact, that’s how Apple market the device: “Twice as fast. Half the price.”

So why couldn’t they price the original like that? Apple products are already much more expensive than alternatives (this coming from an iPod lover). Apple does have great, reliable products, and a loyal customer base. Why do they seek to screw them with their pricing. For all those out there who bought the original, I pity you. I can almost guarantee the new version will be even better. And easier on the pocket. You must be enraged.

JK